December 2022

Progress Newsletter

Earlier this month was a wonderful celebration of Congresswoman Jackie Speier's 40 years of public service and an announcement of her next endeavor as she steps down from Congress.

The Jackie Speier Foundation for Women and Children at Philanthropic Ventures Foundation will address poverty, lack of housing and childcare, and domestic violence, with direct grants and through an innovation incubator to support ingenious solutions to the feminization of poverty. 

Emceed by Bay Area broadcast journalist Jan Yanehiro, more than 200 people gathered to pay tribute to Jackie, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, former Mayor Willie Brown, Congressmen Mike Thompson and Mark DeSaulnier and Jackie's friends and family.

Jackie thanked everyone profusely for being a part of her success, acknowledging that she would not have been able to have accomplished all that she has without all of them, and now it is time for her next chapter! Jackie is finishing her work in Congress this month and will be back home in January 2023 to focus her leadership and dynamism on helping the women and children of San Mateo County thrive. 

Al Horn (former PVF Board Chair) and Jackie

Emcee Jan Yanehiro

SF Mayor London Breed presenting Jackie with a key to the city

Former SF Mayor Willie Brown and Jackie

All photos by Scott Buschman

In addition to more traditional foundation activities, The Jackie Speier Foundation plans to launch an innovation incubator. This is a “moon shot” challenge in attempting to solve some of the most difficult human issues we have in San Mateo County. The foundation will award $1 million dollar grants on a yearly basis to individuals, teams, and non-profits who develop ingenious solutions to the problems of the past four decades:

1. poverty
2. domestic violence
3. unhoused women and children
4. childcare solutions

Jackie is starting the foundation with $1 million from her campaign fund and is asking others to help her raise the funds needed. Please click here to view all the ways you can contribute to the fund..

There are also several additional ways to get involved, such as meeting with Jackie to discuss ideas or participating in a brainstorming group. For more information, contact Sheryl Young, PVF's San Mateo County Program Director at syoung@venturesfoundation.org.

Please visit the website at the button below to read Jackie's full white paper.